From heaven
by crystalchaser
Summary: Sorry guys, but I'm about to delete this fic, I lost track of my ideas.
1. At the hilltop

**FROM HEAVEN**

**PROLOGUE**

"If only I noticed you before..If only I saw you behind her shadows..If only I told you that I love you before..None of these might have happened..Maybe, you're still here with me..Together, we'll be watching the sun set through the majestic sky..You hand in my own..Your skin touching mine..If only I could start it all over again, Sakura..If only I was given a chance to turn back time..I would choose the day that I met you..And I would never ever let you go again.."

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he thought of Sakura. Her pink hair, emerald eyes, fair skin, sweet smile, and tender lips. But that's all she is now, a memory. A picture from his past. A past where Sasuke wished he was at now.

Nothing can measure and define what he felt. And until now, he can only utter four simple words, " I love you, Sakura."

**CHAPTER ONE: At the hilltop**

"Sakura, wake up. It's already 10:00 in the morning," her mother uttered as she shook her daughter's arm gently. The pink haired girl yawned and stretched out her arms. "Good morning." She then kissed her mother on the cheek then scratched her eye with the back of her hand.

"You better get dressed quickly. Sasuke's waiting for you downstairs," her mother uttered. Sakura sweat dropped and sat up abruptly with a shocked expression. "Sasuke!" she exclaimed."Why is he here?"

"Calm down, Sakura. I don't know, but he said it was important and that he needed you badly." Sakura tried to hide the blush that formed in her cheeks from her mother but failed. Michiko smiled at her daughter's gesture. '_Some things don't change_,' she thought.

"Hurry now. You don't want Sasuke to get tired from waiting, do you?" Sakura nodded and went straight to the bathroom. Michiko was about to leave the room when she suddenly noticed the picture of Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke on her tabletop. She smiled at the picture. Sakura was in between Ino and Sasuke, her right arm was at Ino's shoulder while she made a peace sign with her left hand. Ino hugged Sakura at her waist while Sasuke's hand was on Sakura's shoulder as a smirk was carved on his attractive face. They all looked very happy. Michiko returned the framed picture on Sakura's table and quietly exited her daughter's room.

"Ready'" Sakura uttered as she went down the stairs. She wore a baby pink, puff-sleeved blouse, blue denim pants, and a pair of flip-flops. Her hair was fixed in a bun which was held by two pink chopsticks. Sasuke smirked then stood up," It took you almost two hours in choosing the clothes you're going to wear and yet you're not dressed that good." Sakura's smile turned upside-down. She slowly looked at herself at the mirror, sort of examining how she looked. She then faced Sasuke,"Really, I'm not?" Sasuke smiled a bit then approached her. He pulled the chopsticks that held her hair then ruffled it, '_He's treating me like a kid again,'_ she thought. "Just kidding. But I think it's better if you just let your hair down," he uttered coolly.

Sakura blushed once more and snatched the chopsticks from Sasuke's hand," I don't care." She fixed her hair once more and took her lavender colored sling bag from the sofa. "C'mmon, let's go," she uttered without facing Sasuke. He raised his shoulders and followed the pink haired girl. "Bye, Mrs. Haruno," Sasuke said loudly so that the said woman could hear him at the kitchen.

Sasuke got into his jet black motorcycle. She gestured to Sakura to hop in but hesitated for a moment. "Tell me first where we're going and what will we do there," she demanded as she crossed her arms. Sasuke smirked and put on his dark blue helmet. He started the ignition of the motorcycle then threw the other helmet to Sakura. She barely caught it then sighed in relief. "I'll tell you when we get there," Sasuke uttered as Sakura also got into the said vehicle. "Hold on tight," the boy said as they paced off.

"What do you think?" Sasuke asked then faced Sakura. She looked at the place with awe. They were on a hilltop where they could see the whole town of Konoha. Fragrant flowers embezzled the surroundings as the cool and gentle wind led the grass and the leaves of the trees into a rhythmic dance. Sakura hugged herself and closed her eyes as she gently plopped herself towards the ground. "Perfect…"she whispered then put her hands behind her head.

Sasuke smirked and sat beside her, his right leg lay straight on the ground while he bend his other leg towards his chest, his chin resting on his knee. "I'm going to propose to Ino. I'm gonna ask her to marry me," Sasuke said straight forward. His companion opened her eyes in shock then sat up. "WHAT!" she exclaimed. Her heart pounded as she looked at Sasuke with wide eyes. The said boy Raised his eyebrow, "Why are you surprised? We've been together for almost three years. I think it's about time to----" He wasn't able to finish his statement as Sakura stood up.

"To what? To make her spend more time with you than with us? To tie yourselves together? Huh, is that what you wanted? No, Sasuke. I think it's not yet the right time," she angrily stated. But what she really wanted to say to him is that it was still not the right time because she loved him. She didn't want to lose, in this case, both her friend and the one she secretly loved for years. She just couldn't accept the fact that they were both committed to each other and that she wanted to separate them, but couldn't. It was too hard for her. She was trapped between her own happiness and her loyalty and love for her best friend.

Sasuke sighed and stood up. He held her hands and looked at her eyes softly. "Sakura, please. You know how much I love your best friend, right? I don't want to lose her. Please, don't get mad. I swear that I'll take care of her."

Sakura looked down as her hands trembled. '_Oh, I forgot. It was always Ino he cared about, not me.'_

"Sakura, I couldn't isolate her from her friends, especially from you."

'_I'm just his girlfriend's best friend, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe that's the reason he cares for me at times. Yeah, that's right. If I wasn't her best friend, maybe he wouldn't notice me..or know that I exist."_

"I don't want her to be sad. And forcing her to stop seeing you and her other friends will make her unhappy."

'_It's always what she felt..what she wanted. It wasn't really about me..or us. There was no us. There was no we. There was only her and my agony. But who am I to blame him. Ino does that I can't do..sees anything that I can't see.. and has all the things that I couldn't have, including him.'_

"And because of that, I give to you my sincerest gratitude. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known her. I wouldn't have experience this wonderful feeling."

'_Before, when you didn't know her yet, we we're very close to each other, remember? Until I introduced you two to each other. I couldn't consider it as one of my biggest mistake even though it started my suffering. Since then, we didn't had any time to hang out. You became so distant and different. Until one day I woke up not knowing you anymore..'_

The orange tinted sky was about to turn to a jet black but still, Sakura haven't uttered a single word in answer to Sasuke's desperate and pitiful question. Until finally, she had already gathered enough courage to speak. "Alright," she stated, " Of course it's fine with me. I…….was just kidding earlier. I think I was just a bit shocked." She was shocked alright, shocked of herself that she could still utter these words and smile despite the pain she felt.

Sasuke beamed at her as she made a peace sign through her fingers, hoping it could add humor to their situation. She often felt awkward and uneasy whenever Sasuke held her hand or when she felt his warm breath entangle her whole body. But to her surprise, Sasuke pulled her closer to him and hugged her then kissed her in the forehead. '_Oh, God. What's this?' _she thought.

Sakura dreamily gazed at Sasuke as he smiled at her and uttered a 'Thank you.' Sakura nodded as she pushed herself away from him. "So," she uttered, her back facing Sasuke. "When can we start?"

Sasuke looked up and stared at the sky as some stars became more and more visible. "Maybe we should call it a day. It's already dark. Your mother might get worried."

"And Ino might be worried, too. You haven't called her or even sent her a single message for today," Sakura teased him. The boy blushed at the thought and even though it was quite dark already, Sakura could see him turn red like a tomato. She giggled. He smirked. "C'mmon, let's go," and then took Sakura's hand as they approached his motorcycle.

As they sped off, Sakura can't stop thinking of the incoming proposal, and soon to be engagement of Sasuke and Ino. She suppressed her tears that were about to shed from her eyes. '_She's so lucky,' _she uttered to herself then returned her attention on the route they're taking.


	2. The proposal

**A/N: **sorry, I forgot to put a disclaimer in my first chapters. hehe. This is my first fanfic and I still don't have any ideas on how to post a story. Hahaha!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**FROM HEAVEN**

**CHAPTER TWO: The proposal**

"Sakura, where are you? Is everything ready for tonight?" Sasuke asked nervously as he signed at the receipt of the flowers he brought. "I'm on my way, don't worry! Everything will be according to our plan," she answered from the other line. "Well, alright then. "Call me if you're about to go at the hilltop and I'll get ready." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Sakura, sensing that Sasuke wasn't in a good mood, bade goodbye and ended the call. She sighed and stared at her phone, "Good luck, Sasuke," she whispered to herself.

"SAKURA!" a blonde haired girl exclaimed as she saw her best friend at the door. "I'm so happy to see you!" Ino uttered to her best friend. Sakura tried to look as happy as she could to hide how nervous she really was.

'_Maybe I was wrong in telling that Uchiha to relax,' _she thought. She almost jumped when she remembered their plan as Ino was already staring at her with a curious look.

"Uhm, want to go to the mall?" she asked. Ino stared at her for a second, and then smiled. "Nah, I don't have any money. And I'm not in the mood today," she answered then sat on the sofa. Sakura followed her and was obviously worried at her best friend.

She knew Ino very well. Ino's parents both run a business of their own, which proves that it is quite impossible for her to run out of cash. She also considered Ino as an outgoing person, and her refusing the activity called '_shopping' _was a very unusual gesture for her. "What's wrong Ino-pig? You look so anxious." Ino sighed then looked at her best friend with a frown on her lips. "Sasuke haven't talked to me for about a week now. I'm starting to worry, Sak," she uttered. Sakura held her best friend's hand and gave a comforting smile to her. "I knew Sasuke for about nine years now. And if you'll ask me, Sasuke doesn't do things without any good reasons. Maybe he's just busy. But I promise you, everything's fine." Ino smiled at her in return and uttered a '_thank you' _to her noble best friend. Sakura nodded then stood up.

"Come on get dressed. I know you can't resist the thought of shopping. It will surely cheer you up." She pulled Ino up from her seat and helped her in choosing her clothes.

After shopping, Ino and Sakura ate at a Japanese restaurant at the mall. "Thank you for the dress, Sak. It's so beautiful! But.," Ino stopped and looked at the shopping bag beside her while Sakura put down her chopsticks and waited for her next statement. "But I'm not sure if I could wear this. I mean, it's so..so formal." Sakura laughed at her best friend. Imagine a rich and popular girl worries about a dress in which she doesn't know where and when to wear.

"What's so funny?" the blonde asked in a serious tone. But Sakura continued to laugh and founded it hard for her to stop laughing. "Don't worry. I'll find a way for you to wear that dress. Come on, let's go home and try out your new dress." Sakura stood and grabbed her bags as she pulled Ino out of the restaurant. "What are you planning to do Sakura?" Ino asked as they sprinted out of the mall. She was already panting but Sakura showed no sign of exhaustion.

When they already got into the taxi, "I'm going to make sure that that dress will be memorable to you."

"I can't understand. What do you mean memorable?" Sakura smirked and crossed her arms. "You'll see." Ino, who was dedicated to force her best friend to tell her what was she really thinking, shook Sakura as she (Ino) was turning red. "Come on, tell me. You're scaring me!" but the pink haired girl kept quiet as she had a mischievous smile in her lips. Ino, on the other hand, was starting to lose her temper. "If you won't tell it to me, I promise never to speak to you again!" But still, Sakura was silent and acted as if she didn't hear a thing.

"Sasuke, we're ready to go now. I'm just waiting for her to come out of the house. Get ready!" Sakura whispered as she held her phone near to her ear. "Alright then, don't utter even a single word about our plan to her," Sasuke said as he trembled then looked at the red velvet box on his hand. "I wish you were here, Sak," Sasuke uttered. Sakura's eyes grew bigger as she automatically covered her mouth with her hands. Before she could answer back, the boy from the other line began to speak. "I wish you were here. I would be very relaxed if you're here with me. I can even laugh at this point of time when you're here," he said. Sakura was quiet for a while. '_I wish I was, Sasuke. I loved to, but maybe it's just not right. Especially at this point of time when you're nearly getting married with her,' _she thought.

She came back to her senses when she saw Ino come out of the house. "Hello? Sakura, are you still there?" asked Sasuke. "Oh my gosh, Sasuke, she's here. Gotta go, bye," she uttered hastily. Sakura put her phone back into her white handbag and tried to look as relaxed and enthusiastic as she could.

Ino opened the door of the taxi then sat next to Sakura. "Now what?" the blonde asked with a bewildered face. "Sir, take us to the park," commanded Sakura as the driver obliged. "The park?" Ino asked. "But what are we going to do there? Why do I have to wear this dress if we're just going to have a walk around the park? And besides, it's already quite dark, why can't we just call it a day?" She asked with confusion. Sakura smiled timidly. "Expect the unexpected, my friend."

Ino and Sakura went out of the car at the middle of the park. "Follow me," the pink haired girl uttered as she walked to the direction of the hilltop, Ino sprinting behind her. "Sakura, what are you doing? Don't play games with me. It's not funny!" Ino exclaimed as they walked. Sakura smirked and continued to take the familiar route. "You'll thank me for what I'm doing when we get there, Ino. I assure you," she uttered.

When they were only a few feet away from the hilltop, they saw lights sparkling like the stars on the night sky. Flowers embezzled the place, mostly were red chrysantymums, Ino's favorite.

They could see a figure of a gentleman from afar who had a smile on his face as his hands were pocketed on his sides. Ino sweat dropped when she recognized the man. He was Sasuke and she could see that he was holding a bouquet of chrysantymums and gardenias. Beside him stood a man who was playing a sweet and romantic love song through the violin. Ino and Sakura were welcomed by a bunch of flowers and candles that were lined on both sides of the pathway. The blonde looked at Sakura with a shocked but happy expression. "Told you," she uttered then hugged her best friend as Ino was starting to sob quietly. She uttered a 'thank you' to her best friend and then approached Sasuke.

Sakura smiled at the sight. It was like a fairytale or a scene in her dream. Unfortunately, she wasn't the one experiencing the fairytale-like experience.

Sasuke caught the pink-haired girl's eyes and smiled at her which was a way of saying 'thank you' and 'don't worry. I'll take care of her.' She smiled in return. Sasuke then returned his gaze to Ino as he offered his hand to her. He helped her sit on her chair then sat at the opposite side of the table. At this point, Sakura decided to leave the two alone.

'_Maybe moms already asleep,' _she thought as their front door was already locked. Good thing she has her own key. She walked silently to her bedroom, avoiding waking up her supposedly sleeping mother. She plopped on her bed when she reached her room. She was staring endlessly at the ceiling when somebody knocked at the door. She got up and opened it.

"Mom, I thought you were already asleep. What is it?" she asked. "Oh, I can't sleep. I was just watching television at my room when I heard you enter the living room. I was just going to tell you that a letter arrived this afternoon from the company on which you had interview last week." Michiko handed an envelope with her name printed at the back of it. "Thanks mom. But I think I'll open it tomorrow morning. I'm a bit exhausted now," she said as she yawned and scratched her chin. "Alright then, do get some sleep. You look miserable." Sakura nodded as her mother closed the door gently.

Sakura put the envelope at the tabletop. She suddenly noticed her picture with Sasuke and Ino. She took it and stared at the picture intently. A tear suddenly fell from her eye and came rolling down her cheeks but still managed to smile. "Both of you are happy now, very very happy. And because I'm your closest friend, I must be happy, too. Even though it fucking hurts inside, I still force myself to feel proud, happy, and contented of your relationship. I still smile even though my heart bleeds. I still laugh even though my soul reaps. And I still love even though it's slowly killing me." She closed her eyes as more tears were about to flow from her eyes. "I hope your both contented now. I've already given my all to both of you, until all that's left for me is this miserable destiny."

She couldn't stand it anymore. The more she hides it, the more it gets worse. And yet, she doesn't even care. She had always thought of others first before herself, and now, she's suffering a life full of pain, secrets and misery. Sakura returned the picture at the tabletop and dropped herself on her bed as she sobbed the whole night.

**A/N:** Well, that's it. Chapters two to four are up soon. Please review and sorry for any grammatical errors within the story.


	3. Departure

**Discliamer: **I don't own Naruto.

**FROM HEAVEN**

**CHAPTER THREE: Departure**

"You're leaving!" Sakura exclaimed.

She abruptly stood as she stared at Sasuke with wide eyes. Her breathing hastened as her heart wildly beated. Sasuke, on the other hand, looked very relaxed as he sat in front of her.

"Well, uhm. Yes, this afternoon," he uttered as he scratched the back of his head.

'_Sakura's acting a bit weird today,' _he thought as he looked at her.

And indeed she was. In fact, Sakura was the one persuading them to get married before, which was a topic Ino didn't want to discuss yet. She always showed how happy she was for the two of them. Well, maybe that's it.

Sasuke was used in seeing Sakura always happy and in favor for them without knowing that she was only forced to do it. He always thought that Sakura would always support them without knowing that she gets hurt every time she helps them. That her heart has been stitched together for so many times just to master how to lessen the pain during a heartache.

Sasuke always thought that everything's okay which is really not. He doesn't know that during his happiness, while he enjoyed every moment of his almost perfect life, someone was crying silently because of him.

Sakura let herself drop on the chair behind her. _'Unbelievable,' _Sakura thought as she blankly stared at the coffee table in front of her. Sasuke noticed this which made him more curious of her actions. He raised hid eyebrow as he caught Sakura's eyes.

"Sak," he called, "Are you alright? You seem so…quiet?"

Sakura stared at him……and stared……and stared. Until she got lost on his eyes. Her green orbs were locked at the sight of this young gentleman smiling at her oh-so sweetly.

'_I must be dreaming,' _she thought.

Then, in just a split of a second, she found herself back to her senses and to reality. She sighed then straightened herself.

"Daydreaming," she whispered to herself then smirked.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh," Sakura replied, panicking, "Uhm, I mean. Y-You didn't tell me about this plan. You only told me about the proposal," she uttered then lowered her head.

'_What's the difference? Even though he told it to me before, I would still have the same reaction. I would still fell the same.'_

Sakura wanted to run away, far away where nobody could see her shed the tears that had always flown down her eyes. But she couldn't. She chose to stay there, where she sat. Where he sat. Where the two of them sat, silent. Too silent that it created so many questions on their minds. Questions that have unsure or rather no answers.

"I-I was," Sasuke finally spoke, "Uhm..I was about to tell you that night but..you already went home," he sighed and then lowered his head. "Sorry."

Sakura nodded to show that she understood. They refused to look at each other as they talked. Both of them had their head lowered.

"What time is your flight?" Sakura asked.

The spiky, black haired boy brought out a piece of paper which seemed to be their flight schedule.

"Four in the afternoon. Want to join us at the airport?"

Sakura looked up as she played with her fingers. If she'll come, she would only see the two again, and their last meeting will be a not-so happy memory for her. But at least they've been together for the last time, right? She sighed then smiled sweetly at Sasuke. What else would go wrong if everything is already messed up?

"Sure, I'll come. Would you want Naruto to come, too? I can ask him later," she said.

Sasuke smirked. He then run his fingers through his bangs.

"Okay, no problem," he uttered.

Silence filled the air once more. Nobody dared to speak, nor to look at the person in front of them.

'_Now what?' _Sakura thought as she stared at the dark blue colored carpet on the floor.

"I-I'd better go now. See you later," she said then stood. She was heading towards the door, having enough for the day.

"Sakura," Sasuke called.

Sakura's heart jumped when she heard Sasuke call her name. Should she turn around or should she ignore him? Her heart was now hastily beating once more as beads of sweat run through her forehead. Sakura was panicking but for what? She didn't know either. Sakura sighed. The said girl slowly turned around.

"Y-yes?" she weakly uttered.

Sasuke pocketed his hands as he lowered his head.

"I-I wish you could come with us. I mean, I don't know how can we survive without you. Especially when we fight, you're the only one who can reconcile us. But..I guess we just have to learn how to be independent."

Sasuke sighed. Sakura stared at his attractive façade blankly as he spoke. Then she smirked.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

Sakura jumped towards Sasuke then hugged him tightly as she shut her eyes. Sasuke almost fell towards the ground when Sakura approached him. He stared at her in shock. He felt excited and uneasy at the same time. He felt his heart pound so hard and loud without any reason.

Maybe because Sakura was near him. Her delicate skin touching his. Her sweet scent surrounding him. His arms encircling her small, petite waist.

'_Wait, what am I doing?' _ he thought.

He was about to let go but he felt the urge to stay. He smirked.

'_Funny. Everything feels so right with her here.'_

Sasuke then caressed Sakura's smooth pink locks, allowing his fingers entangle with each strand of her hair.

"I'll miss you, Sakura," he whispered, loud enough for her to hear.

Sakura smiled timidly then looked at Sasuke.

"I'll miss you, too…and Ino," she uttered.

Sasuke smirked. As he held Sakura, he knew that something with what he felt was wrong. But he also knew that it was right at some point. That it perfectly fits at a certain space within him that has been vacant for a long time. A space wherein nobody had ever filled or occupied.

Sakura, though she ignored it, felt the same way, too. The only difference is that she knew the reason but Sasuke didn't, or rather, she didn't want to know.

"S-See you later," she uttered then pushed herself away.

"Bye," Sasuke said as he opened the door for her.

Sakura waved at him when she was already outside, never feeling so contented and happy her whole life.

"Ino, let's go," Sasuke uttered to his fiancée.

The blonde nodded and grabbed her things.

"D-don't do anything s-stupid there, Sasuke-teme," Naruto, who was obviously sad at the thought of Sasuke leaving, uttered while sobbing.

He wiped the tears from his eyes with his arm.

"Dobe, I'm not like you. Anyway, take care of Sakura and don't worry about us too much. We'll be fine," Sasuke uttered as he patted Naruto on the shoulder.

"I'll miss you, Sakura. I really will!" Ino stated and hugged her speechless friend.

"Sakura," called Sasuke and approached her.

He gave her a necklace with a cherry blossom pendant.

"This is the sign of my promise to you; that I'll take care of your best friend," he uttered.

Sakura was about to speak but Sasuke and Ino were already running towards the entrance. When they were about to go inside, they waved at Sakura and Naruto for the last time. The two waved back. Sakura stared at the couple until they were already out of sight.

**A/N: **Sorry for any grammatical errors, I've already finished writing this story up to chapter 5 but I don't have enough time to post it. Hehe. Please review. I'm desperate on having one. Or should I say having some cause I've only one review ever since I posted this story. PLEASE!!


	4. Sakura's Last Chance

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay. Had so much work to do. Hehe. And I've lost the file of the following chapters so I have to type them again! hai. Anyway, please keep on reading and reviewing on this story. I haven't got to its climax yet (obviously). Hehe

**Disclaimer: **How many times do I have to tell you guys that I don't own Naruto! sSheeshhh!

**FROM HEAVEN**

**Chapter four: Sakura's last chance**

'_Should have told him before..'_

"Ms. Haruno"

'_I'm so stupid!'_

"Sakura.."

'_And now I would sit here alone, crying like a baby. How pathetic am I!'_

"SAKURA!" Ten-ten shouted at the top of her voice. They were in the cafeteria, eating their lunch. Every person in the place looked at their table but Ten-ten doesn't seem to care at all.

"H-Huh? What? Is there a fire?" Sakura asked absent-mindedly. Her eyes were searching the whole cafeteria for any sign of danger. The whole table burst into laughter. Sakura was also with Hinata, Naruto, and Neji. All of them were laughing except for Sakura. She looked at her friends, at first, quite confused. And then she glared at each of them with her emerald orbs which were animatedly with flames. "Stop laughing, okay? It's not funny." She uttered as she started eating.

It's been a year since Sasuke and Ino left Konoha. For the first three months, she was able to communicate with them. But after that, they didn't reply to Sakura's e-mails, calls, and text messages. Sakura, feeling that she must be annoying the two, stopped sending messages to them and never had any news from them since then.

"Hai, my dear Sakura. The only thing in fire is your heart! Why didn't you tell Sasuke?" Ten-ten uttered with humor. Sakura's face turned red like a tomato. The others seemed to notice it as they started to utter side comments about it.

"How dare you, Sakura?"

"There was so much time."

"It was your chance."

"SHUT UP!!" Sakura shouted slamming the table which made their plates jerk away. "You're all making fun of me since this morning! What's up with all of you?" she asked as she sat down, her right hand under her chin.

Her friends went silent but they were obviously trying to hold their laughter. "Loosen up, Sak. It's not the end of the world," Neji uttered coolly as he nibbled some chips that he stole from Ten-ten's tray. "What's bugging you anyway?" Naruto asked as he tried to stop Neji from stealing his fries.

Sakura thought for a while. There was only one thing that was bugging her everyday, and that was the thought that Sasuke and Ino were gone. She didn't know if she was worried or jealous or anything. All she knew is that she was bothered. And she can't help but think of them. _'Hai, you two. You're so far away yet you're still annoying me,' _she thought.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we go to the club tonight! You know, so that Sakura could relax and at least forget of Sasuke?" Naruto stated as he held up his soda in the air. _'Hai, Naruto. If only you knew that what you're saying at this very moment is true,' _Sakura said to herself as she took a bite at her sandwich. "Hmm…why not? We're not that busy anyway, right Sakura?" Ten-ten stated as she pinched her at her sides. "Ouch! Alright already! I'm through with the papers my boss asked me to make," Sakura uttered as she held her sides. "Yeah! Party people here we come!" Naruto exclaimed as they went out of the cafeteria.

"Naruto and I will be at Sakura's house at about 8pm," Neji uttered as he started the ignition of his motorcycle, Ten-ten riding with him. "My house? Why not Ten-ten's? or Hinata's house?" Sakura exclaimed. "So will be sure you won't spoil the party, okay?" Ten-ten uttered as she stuck out her tongue to Sakura. Naruto and Hinata laughed at Sakura. "Okay! I had enough! I'll prove to you guys that I'm not as lame and as kill joy as you think I am. I will prepare for that party tonight and I'll be the most glamorous girl you'll ever see!" Sakura stated, raising her finger like a politician having a speech. The four clapped at her as she took a bow before them. "Well, see you later then," Ten-ten uttered as she and Neji paced off. Sakura waved goodbye at the two as she went home with Naruto and Hinata.

XxxXxxXxxX

"Aww! I wished I had just admitted that I am lame," Sakura uttered as she sat helplessly at the floor in her room. Her dressers and drawers were all opened and all her clothes were laid messily around her room. "AaAaAaAHhhH! i'm so tired I just want to go to sleep!" Sakura hysterically stated as she pulled her hair. _'If only Ino was here. Then I woudn't be too worried about looking stupid,' _she thought. Sakura looked at the wall clock. It's almost seven in the evening. _'I've got almost one hour to go. Hai. I could hear Ino know. She would probably say that I it's just a piece of cake and that a little magic will do the trick,' _she uttered to herself as she lazily watched at the hands of the clock as it ticked its way to the number five.

"Sakura, somebody wants to talk to you at the phone!" Sakura's mother, Michiko, called out from the living room downstairs. "Coming mom!" Sakura replied as she jumped over her clothes that were scattered on her floor. She hurried to get down the staircase, curious at who might be calling her. _'Maybe it's Ten-ten. Congratulating me for my defeat once again,' _she thought as she went straight to their living room and took the receiver of the phone from her mother. "I'll be at the kitchen if you need me," her mother uttered. She nodded in reply.

"Hello? Who is this?" she asked. "Hey, Sak. It's me, Sasuke." Sakura's jaw dropped as she heard the voice of Sasuke from the receiver. Her hands began to sweat, a sign that she was nervous. "H-hey, what's up?" Sakura asked as she tried to stop her voice from trembling. "All's good here. What about you? How's life there with Naruto?" Sasuke asked with sarcastically. "Starting to get worse, I think," she replied. She felt so bubbly and cheerful inside that she even forgot to worry about the party later. "That's good, I hope."

Silence.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"I hope you're happy for us."

"For you a-and Ino-pig? Of course, Sasuke."

"No. I mean for both of us."

Silence.

Cough.

"Hey, still there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean for both of us?"

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"For what?"

"N-nothing."

"Hey, what's all the mystery about, Sasuke?"

"Nothing. I just thought you might feel the same."

"I can't get it. What are you talking about?"

"Call you later. Bye."

Sakura put the receiver down as she stared at the window, bewildered. _'Is he talking about what I think he's talking about?' _she thought, confused of her own question.

XxxXxxXxxX

"Damn it!" Sasuke threw the receiver of the phone towards the wall. _'Stupid! Call you later? That's all you can say? Idiot!' _he thought as he slammed the wall with his fist.

Sasuke and Ino had ended their relationship a few months ago. He had enough of her squeals and arguments about paying more attention to sending messages to Sakura and the others than her. "She's my friend, Ino. She's your friend, too. And I don't only get in touch with only her! I also catch up with Neji and Naruto, don't be so insensitive!" Sasuke angrily stated as he slammed the table. "Insensitive! So it's my fault now, huh? Is it my fault if my fiancée devotes more time to his friends than me?" Ino uttered, also fuming in anger. She wasn't that pretty anymore, with her hair undone, and her make-up fading. "Oh what are you talking about? We see each other every day!" But Ino didn't reply, instead, she went speeding up the stairs. When she was already back, she had her suitcase with her, obviously, she was leaving.

But funny, Sasuke didn't even tell her to stop. He didn't even felt guilt. In fact, he was relieved that Ino was out of his life already. _'I should have done this before,' _he thought.

Somehow, Ino was right. He DID devote more time for Sakura than to her. Since the first day that they were together, he felt that it wouldn't work out. He feels something for Sakura, he knows what he feels but isn't sure with it. He thought that maybe it was just temporary. Besides, he was captured fully by Ino's charm that time. He couldn't pay much attention for what he feels for Sakura. But he was wrong, from the first until the last days of his relationship with Ino, something about Sakura made him feel vibrant, like there was something worthwhile behind her emerald orbs and those pink locks. He needed to make sure of what he feels, or else it would be too soon. But unfortunately, when it was already the right time to tell her, he couldn't find the words to say anymore. Just a simple 'call you later.' He wished he had noticed Sakura before, when everything was still normal. He was so confused of what he feels that he couldn't make up his mind. Maybe it was just infatuation, or maybe he simply misses her that's why he feels that way. _'Right, infatuation that lasted about five years,' _he thought.

If only they knew what was in store for both of them. If only destiny was straightforward like our tongues. But no, it will make you suffer first. For neither Sakura nor Sasuke knew that that night was their last chance.

XxxXxxXxxX

**A/N: **Bwaaah! Done! Cool, all of it just came out of mind in an instant. Hehe. I'm getting nearer to the plot, I can't belive it! haha! Hope you liked it. Hehe. 'till my next chapters and I promise I am going to update really soon. Ahaha!


	5. Lights

**A/N: **I believe that this will be the turning point of the story. Though I don't know if I'm going to make this a long one, 'cause I'm thinking of including the half of it in the next chapter. Hehe.

**FROM HEAVEN**

**CHAPTER FIVE: Lights**

"Hmm, looking good, Sakura," Tenten uttered as she looked at her friend with awe. She was wearing a skirt in flaming fuchsia with a silver lining and a dirty white off-shoulder blouse. She didn't actually wore very striking clothes, but what made Tenten and the others gape was how she transformed her aura forma simple, ordinary girl to an exciting, party gal. "It's the make-up, okay? I think I've overdone it," she stated as she grabbed her coat from their sofa. "All ready to leave then?" Neji asked as he tossed the key up in the air and caught it immediately. Everybody nodded as a sogn of agreement. "Wait, I've forgot something," Sakura uttered as she went speeding up to her room. Naruto looked at her with confusion in his eyes. "What was that all about?" he asked. Tenten just shrugged as they waited patiently.

'_Where is it?' _Sakura thought as she opened her drawers. _'Ah! Here it is.' _ It was the necklace that Sasuke had given her before he had left with her best friend. She didn't go anywhere without it. She sighed in relief as she went down to meet the others. "Okay! We can go now," she enthusiastically stated as the four of them looked at her. "About time," Naruto stated as he was tired of waiting and was already itching to go to the club. But she didn't mind him, she just grinned and joined the others as she, Naruto and Hinata hailed for a taxi while Tenten and Neji rode in his motorcycle.

"Don't mind him. He's not in the mood since this morning," Hinata suddenly informed her, not too loud for Naruto to hear. Sakura giggled, "It's alright. I know how he gets all grumpy sometimes. It's just his nature, too bad for him though." Hinata giggled a bit at this statement. "What's so funny?" Naruto abruptly uttered while looking at them suspiciously. "Nothing," the two uttered in unison.

XxxXxxXxxX

Music pumped so loud that it almost made their eardrums pop out. Disco lights whirled around which made each person's eyes sparkle in the night. Everybody danced, drank, and laughed. This was night life at Konoha.

"This is MY night life! Oh yeah!" Naruto shouted as they entered. Though he was barely heard by the others, Neji knocked him off by pushing him from behind. "What's up?" he asked, arms up in the air. Neji glared at him, "Stop fooling around, will yah?" he uttered as the three girls went looking for a table for them. Naruto cupped his hand in his ear, making a sign which means he can't hear him. Neji sighed and joined the girls as he watched him go straight at the dance floor and dance like a wild animal (he wasn't really sure if it can be called dancing though).

"Told you he was just excited," Sakura jokingly uttered as they looked at how Naruto danced energetically as he bumped other people, now glaring at him. "Let's just hope he wouldn't get busted out here," Neji stated as the three laughed. A few moments later, they saw Naruto coming over to their table. "Looks like he's done," Tenten uttered. Hinata, holding tightly at Sakura's arm, suddenly shrieked which made them all look at her. "He's going to ask me to join him. Oh no!" They stared for a moment as Naruto pulled Hinata to the dance floor as she was turning red already. When they were already gone, they all burst out laughing. "Aww! Poor Hinata," Sakura uttered as her eyes looked as that of a crying puppy.

This was Sakura's best night ever. With just her friends, hanging out and having fun, she couldn't ask for anything more. She was so happy that she wished the night wouldn't end. She wasn't sure if it was the drink or just her that she felt so bubbly and light headed.

"Hey, you got a new necklace?" Tenten asked her as she was pointing to Sakura's neck. "Oh this," she uttered as she held its cherry blossom pendant. "Just a little gift from Sasuke before he left," she uttered, staring at it as she remembered what happened before he left. "A gift? From Sasuke?" Tenten asked but it seems that Sakura didn't hear her as she was now talking to Hinata.

Tenten was the only one who knew that Sakura had once loved Sasuke. _I don't like him anymore, maybe it was just infatuation or something_, she remembered Sakura's words when she once asked if she still loved him. Sometimes, she thought that Sakura was just playing safe; that she only said it because she knew that Ino liked Sasuke, too. And she didn't like rivalry between any of her friends. But despite those assumptions, she still stuck to the idea that Sakura had already move on.

The music suddenly changed from rock and lively to a mellow and slow rhythm. "Hey, Hinata-chan, care for a dance," Naruto asked as he offered his hand to her. The said girl blushed for a moment before accepting Naruto's hand. Neji and Tenten followed them to the dance floor. "Be back later," Tenten uttered to Sakura as she was left alone in their table. She was used to this scene. Her friends dancing with their partners as she was left alone in one corner. She didn't mind it though, since Sasuke would also ask her to dance after he and Ino had already had their time. But now that they were gone and she was left again, she felt a slight pinch inside her saying _'You're being left behind and nobody is with you.' _ She sighed.

Sakura felt so gloomy that all her enthusiasm a while ago just faded in an instant. While in deep thought, she suddenly remembered Sasuke's statement a while ago when he called her. _'I just thought you might feel the same.' _What did he mean by that? Feel the same? Did it mean anything? She was confused. She didn't want to be hurt anymore. She had done anything that she can to hide what she feels. It was so damn hard and painful that she might as well be ten feet below the ground today. Every time she hears Sasuke talking about Ino it was like listening to her death sentence. But still she managed to cope up with it. She even helped him in his proposal for Ino. And now he calls her asking her if she's happy for them? She wanted to say no, but she knew what would that single word mean.

"Hey, you alright Sakura?" It was Naruto. He was shaking her in the shoulders. She nodded. "You sure? You look a little pale, though," he informed her. "I-I think I better go home now," she uttered. "Tell the others I'm leaving." Naruto nodded, eyeing Sakura with concern as she exited the place.

XxxXxxXxxX

It was a cold, windy night. The leaves of the trees rustled as the wind blew her hair towards her face. She tightened her grip to her coat, giving her body some warmth. She couldn't get a taxi. The streets were already abandoned; the reason why eternal silence ruled the place. Suddenly, Sakura felt a strange feeling that somebody was following her. She abruptly turned around and saw a man behind him.

"Wh-who are you?" she asked as she tried for her voice not to tremble. The man didn't reply but instead, had approached her hastily. He grabbed Sakura's wrist and suddenly pulled her closer to him. "Hey! What are you doing? Let me g—"The man had covered Sakura's mouth with a handkerchief as she went unconscious. "I got her, boss," the man suddenly uttered to his phone. "Good. Now bring her here so that we could finish things already," the person in the other line uttered. The man closed his phone and brought Sakura to an abandoned building.

XxxXxxXxxX

Sakura tried to open her eyes. It hurt so much that it felt as if it were burning. She tried to move her arms; it felt so light. Actually, her whole body felt so light. When she had finally opened her eyes, she could only see bright white lights. She blinked. But still the lights were there. She panicked. This can't be happening. It was too soon.

XxxXxxXxxX

**A/N: **Okay, so I decided to include the other half in the next chapter. D'you have any idea what happened to Sakura? well, if you do, please hold on to them. They might be right. Hehe.


	6. Traces of pink

**Crystalchaser's note: **hi! I'm back! And I'm about to graduate from high school! Heehee. I had to accomplish all the requirements first that's why it took me a long time before I could write stories again. Anyway, here's chapter six of my first story. I hope I could finish all my stories this summer. It's been almost a year since I first wrote this story (so embarrassing).

**Disclaimer: **I swear, I don't own NARUTO!!!!

**FROM HEAVEN**

**Chapter 6: Traces of pink**

She found solace under the shade of an old oak tree. She sat there—motionless, lifeless, and helpless. Nobody to be with, just staring endlessly at the green field. It was her home now. The only place that could comfort her. It took awhile before she understood what was happening.

Flashback

"Make sure nothing's left or we'll be dumped for it," a man in a black suit uttered in darkness. From the dark corner of the room, only the smoke coming from the cigarette of the said man can be seen together with his bright green eyes. "Where shall I put her?" asked his servant. The man snickered and walked towards the bloody corpse of a young girl. "Put her in a box. A big one." The servant looked at his master, bewildered. "I have a special delivery for Michiko and Akashi Haruno," said the man as a suspicious glint in his eyes explained it all.

End of Flashback

She closed her eyes as she remembered her situation. It was unbearable. She didn't know what to do. It seems like all she can do was weep.

XxxXxxX

It was raining hard outside. Yet at Neji's home, only the trickling of raindrops on the roof and windows can be heard. Together with Hinata, Naruto, and Tenten, he was also trying to suppress the sadness that he was feeling.

"It was her last party," Tenten whispered. "Yeah. It was," replied Neji.

The chocolate brown haired girl sighed. It was all that they could talk about. Sakura's death was very surprising. And the way she was murdered was considered unforgivable. Yet, they could do nothing about it. They didn't have any clue or guess who the suspects were.

"If only she didn't walk home by herself," Neji uttered calmly, his eyes full of grief. Naruto instantly eyed his white-eyed companion. "Oh, so you're blaming me again aren't you? You're insisting that I'm the reason why Sakura…was murdered." Naruto was such in a rage but still, it took him a hard time to say something related about the death of Sakura. The two girls looked at Naruto with a worried expression.

"Look Naruto, I'm not blaming you."

"Don't act like you didn't want to imply anything, Neji. You've always blamed me for what happened."

"For goodness sake, Naruto! Stop acting like I'm nailing you because of her loss!"

"I'm not acting. Maybe you're the one being blind of all what's happening."

Both of them were now standing, facing each other with fury.

"Naruto, please stop it!" uttered Tenten, already frustrated.

"Oh now it's my fault again, isn't it?" Naruto shouted.

"No, what I mean is…" but Tenten wasn't able to finish her statement since Naruto had already turned around and walked towards the door. Hinata, concerned for him, stood up and was about to approach Naruto.

Fuming, Naruto grabbed the doorknob and carelessly opened the door. Raindrops and darkness welcomed him. He was about to go out when he noticed somebody standing motionless at the doorstep. His clothes were dripping due to the heavy rain. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the said person approaching him. "Where is she?" the onyx-eyed man uttered. Naruto swallowed before speaking, "S-sasuke?"

XxxXxxX

Sakura's reverie ended when she heard footsteps approaching her direction. She stood up and peeped from the trunk of the said oak tree. There were two men walking towards her tomb. At first, she didn't mind them. But when she had already recognized them she began to panic. "Naruto? S-sasuke?" She didn't remove her sight from the two but still kept her distance from them.

"This is the place," Naruto stated, pointing at Sakura's epitaph. Sasuke gently lowered his head and read it silently. Naruto wasn't able to see his friend's reaction since his hair his eyes almost completely.

There was complete silence in the place which bored Naruto as he kicked some of the stones surrounding him. However, Sasuke appreciated it. For it gave him time to decipher the things he'd done. From the friendship he had with Sakura to the time when he realized that he made the wrong decision.

Destiny was such a gigantic puzzle for him. You have to fit the right pieces together before the time ends. And in his situation, he finished it too late.

Suddenly, Sasuke heard something move out of nowhere. Cautiously, he looked towards where the sound came from. There, behind a large and old oak tree, she saw a girl—and unbelievingly—with a flush of pink hair. But after a few moments, she was already gone.

XxxXxxX

Sakura hurriedly left the place when she had noticed that Sasuke seem to have seen her, though she knew it was impossible. "B-but what if h-he did?" she thought nervously. She didn't know why she was being nervous. Surely, he must have just glanced at the tree she was at, right?

Sakura felt her pulse hasten, she laughed a bit when she thought of it. "Me? Having a rapid pulse? It must be a joke," she said to herself. "But you know what's a funnier joke?" she asked herself. She turned around and saw Sasuke walking towards her. "Sasuke's back, you're just a few feet away from him. Yet, you couldn't talk to him, or even touch him. Goodness he can't even see you even when you're nose touches his."

XxxXxxX

"Where are you going?" asked Naruto who was already panting as he followed Sasuke. He was just quietly enjoying the silence a while ago and then, all of a sudden, he came rushing towards something Naruto didn't know. "C'mmon, Sasuke? What's up," Naruto asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

Sasuke kept turning his head from right to left, trying to find the girl he saw awhile ago. He wasn't sure if he really saw it though, or was it just his imagination? And yet, if he really did saw someone, he wasn't sure if she really had pink locks or if it was a person. But besides all this odds, he still followed her and looked for the mysterious girl.

"Sasuke, c'mmon! Tell me what's up with you?" asked Naruto as he sat down at a bench under a tree. Sasuke hurriedly turned to him, "Did you see a girl a while ago? At the back of that big oak tree over there?" he asked as he pointed at the place. Naruto looked at the direction with knitted eyebrows, "I saw nobody, teme. You must have just mistaken some rubbish as someone," he said as he carelessly stood and walked towards the parking lot. "Wait! I'll go look there," Sasuke uttered as he walked north. "Whoa whoa, teme, you need a time out. Why don't we just go to my apartment so that you could rest?" he suggested. Sasuke took a last look at the place and followed his companion.

As they entered Naruto's car, Sasuke was sure she saw traces of pink at the far corner of the field. He closed his eyes and fell asleep during the whole trip.

XxxXxxX

**Crystalchaser's note: **I'm not sure of the name of Sakura's father so I just named him Akashi. Please R&R! And if you have any spare time, please read my other stories. Hehe. Thanks!


	7. The moon and Stars

**Crystalchaser's note: **Ding-dong! And I'm here again with the next chapter! (Applause!) just kidding. It's summer time! I'm going to miss my classmates..(AwWwW!) Anyway, here's a chapter I'm sure you'll never want to miss! Enjoy (I'm a bit hyperactive today, HaHAHA!)

**FROM HEAVEN**

**CHAPTER 7: The moon and stars**

She was sitting at the edge of a shallow river, her feet almost touching the transparent water that shows the reflection of the moon. The cold, night air blew the leaves away from their branches as the rushing of the water accompanied it. Sakura rested here during the end of the day and enjoyed the calmness of the enigmatic night.

It has been a very busy day today. She played with the children at the sand box at a nearby park. She savored the sound of their giggles as they looked at her direction—though she knows they cannot see her. She helped an old woman from a bunch of teenagers by scaring them. How? She just made funny sounds inside the rubbish bin. She even read some of her favorite books at the bookstore without the shop keeper noticing. Oh yes, she was enjoying it now—her freedom, the silence. It was unmistakable. But at the end, she realized that something was still missing. Sakura missed her friends, her school, strawberry frappe (since she doesn't need to eat anymore), and of course, her parents. Yes, she enjoyed being alone, but it was not enough.

She sighed and looked at the bright full moon. _'You know what; I admire you (the moon). You're all alone there, giving light to the whole world, yet you never get tired or lonely or scared.' _She thought for a while and suddenly saw a twinkling star from afar. She gave a sad smile. _'Oh, I forgot, there are still stars out there. They maybe too far, but at least you can still stay in touch with each other,'_ she thought. Sakura closed her eyes and let the cold breeze blow her hair out of her face. _'I wonder who my star is right now.' _

XxxXxxX

"We'll need more of those, Tenten," Neji uttered as he chopped the onions and put them at the sizzling pan. The said girl nodded and got some more whipped cream from the refrigerator. Naruto was at the grill while Hinata was helping Tenten in making the dessert. "I hope they would like this," Hinata uttered as she sprinkled some sugar on the pan. "Yeah, I hope so. And I hope Sasuke would join us, too," Tenten uttered. All were buzzing around the room and were busy doing their own duties. Even Naruto who's known for always joking around seem serious and focused at his work.

As the commotion continued inside the said room, Sasuke entered. At first, the four didn't notice his presence and continued working. Sasuke raised his eyebrow and walked towards Neji and coughed. "Oh! Sasuke, great for you to come," he uttered as he wiped his wet hands with a towel. Sasuke just crossed his arms and rested his back on the door of the refrigerator. "What's up anyway?" he uttered. It took almost thirty seconds before somebody answered him. "It's for Michiko-san and Akashi-san. They've been so depressed for the past few days since they can't find the—uhm, you know, the ones who did it. So I think we should lighten things up for awhile," Tenten explained as the others nodded in agreement.

Sasuke lowered his head, _'So they still don't know who did it?' _he thought and sighed. He had missed so many things when he was out of Konoha. He wished he had just stayed and enjoyed the company of his friends. "I-I'm just going out for a walk," he uttered and immediately went out of the kitchen. "Be back for dinner, teme!" Naruto shouted as he looked at the retreating back of his friend. Sasuke raised his hand without looking back, a gesture which means _yes._

XxxXxxX

He needed to get away. He wasn't that sure of what he really wanted. Sasuke thought of Ino—they had been together for so long and yet it ended as if nothing happened. Though something inside him was saying that he should have done it a long time ago. And Sakura? Never mind, he wasn't even sure if he had made the right decision. He knew that he couldn't change the things he had already done.

He stopped at a nearby playground which was already isolated. He sat in one of the bench and took time to think. He heard the wind, the leaves, the crickets, and the never ending flow of water. _'Wait, water?' _he thought. There must be a nearby stream or brook somewhere. His brows were knitted as he tried to remember something. "I've been gone for a long time, I don't even remember a stream near this place," he whispered to himself and smirked. Despite the odd feeling, he followed the sound of the flowing water through the woods.

XxxXxxX

"It's like déjà vu," he whispered as not to disturb the quiet forest from its repose. He walked silently through the muddy ground covered with different kinds of leaves and twigs from trees. Now he remembered, it was where the three of them—Sakura, Naruto, and himself, would hang out after school when they were still young. This was their escape paradise, an escape from the noisy town and their chores at home, an escape when they are being scolded by their mothers or teachers at school, or simply just a place to talk to each other, eat snacks and play hide and seek. It looked wonderful here back then. But he didn't know how it looked like at night. "This is incredible," he uttered, following the big full moon as it shone from above.

Not from afar, he could still hear the flowing water from the stream, but now, it was accompanied by splashing, a sign that someone is in the woods, too. He tried to approach the said place cautiously, so as not to surprise anything or anyone. As he neared, he could see the moonlight shining over the small river, illuminating all the things near it, including a girl with, unbelievingly, pink hair.

XxxXxxX

Her eyes were getting heavy already, and she hated it. She hated when she would have to end another day for she doesn't know what may happen to her the next day—if she would still be here and enjoy the things she desired the most. Sakura sighed and placed her chin at her right hand. "Bye, Selene," she uttered. She called the moon Selene, for she learned that it was the Greek name for it and because she loved to read Greek myths and legends.

She stood up and was about to leave when unexpectedly, somebody called her. "Sakura?" The voice was unmistakable. She immediately knew who it was. Sakura stood there, frozen for a few moments then slowly turned around to see a man wearing a black shirt and white pants. His hair was quite undone, just like when she last saw him. His dark onyx eyes were looking at her emerald ones. He said no other words as he walked towards her. She backed a bit when he was already a few inches away. Sakura could already smell his scent and feel his warmth; they were so near to each other that their noses almost touched. Sakura could now feel his breath and it made her shiver.

"What—AAAH!" Sakura had accidentally slipped from the muddy shore of the river and was about to skid down towards it. Automatically, Sasuke stretched out his arms and tried to catch her but had failed (obviously). His brow furrowed when suddenly he couldn't see Sakura in front of him but had immediately shut his eyes when he fell towards the clear water of the stream, creating a loud splash which echoed throughout the whole place.

Sasuke gently opened his eyes and saw himself all wet, his hair dripping. He looked around for any sign of Sakura but she was already gone. The water in the stream was only of knee-length so it wasn't really that deep. He sighed and tried to get up but accidentally slipped and fell once more. "I hate water," he hissed. He suddenly heard a giggle from above and saw Sakura, her hands covering her mouth. Sasuke glared at her for a long time, Sakura, seeing this leapt and hurriedly went away. Sasuke smirked, "Up to now, you're still childish," he uttered softly as he followed her, not putting in mind that she was, obviously, a ghost.

Sakura was up high in a tree watching the velvet black sky. She wondered why Sasuke was here and why was he the only one who could see her, as of now, while other people can't. He wasn't even surprised or, for goodness sake, scared when he saw her. She thought of how he glared at her earlier, she smiled. She missed that look from him especially when he gets angry or annoyed. _'You're childish,' _he would always say to her then he would be gone. Sakura really missed those days, she really missed Sasuke.

Already bored, Sakura jumped from the tree and landed on the ground safely. _'I miss getting wounds,' _she thought and started to walk. "You're a good climber now." Sakura turned around. There, at the dark place, Sasuke stood, his arms crossed as he leaned back at a tree trunk. She shrieked when she saw him, "You scared the hell out of me!" Sasuke smiled wryly and said, "You're the one who's scared?" and then smirked. Sakura's face turned red as she looked away from him. "How d'you found me?" she uttered calmly, not moving in her place. The said man smirked and approached her. "Why are you hiding from me?" he asked, his head lowered. Sakura shrugged and looked at him, "I wasn't hiding," she uttered and looked down, "I…I'm not seen…by them." She fought the urge not to cry. She doesn't want to be mourning of the same thing again. Sasuke looked up and saw her, he smirked. "I was asking why you were running away from me." Sakura looked at him with defiance, a mood that was a lot different from what she had earlier. _'Hn. Mood swings,' _Sasuke thought. "I-I wasn't running away, what the hell do you need from me anyway!" she asked, fuming.

Sasuke moved towards her, a mysterious glint in his eyes. Sakura backed away a bit but still tried to show that she wasn't nervous or anything. "Actually, I really don't know," Sasuke uttered coldly. Sakura frowned and looked at him as he turned around and walked away. _'That was it? After the hunting and all, that's it?' _she asked herself. Sakura tried to find anything to say, "You haven't changed a bit," she shouted at him. Sasuke stopped from his tracks and listened to her. "You're still a good-for-nothing jerk!" she said. Sasuke smiled at this, "Works everytime," he whispered as he turned around and walked towards her. When he was only a few feet away, he said, "You haven't changed yourself." Sakura listened intently to him, anticipating something which she really doesn't know herself. Her heartbeat hastened as she waited for his next words. Sasuke's smile grew wider, "You're still my old little sister slash best friend who's so childish and immature," he uttered. Sakura's heart sank for no reason. "Oh," she said in a low voice disappointment transparent in her voice. _'Well. At least I'm SOMEBODY to him,' _she thought to console herself. Sasuke noticed her sudden change of mood, _'She's still the Sakura I knew,' _he thought. He looked around and remembered the playground he was at earlier.

"Hey," he called out. Sakura turned to his way with a raised eyebrow, "Hm?"

"Let's go to the playground. We can talk there," he said, more of a command rather than a request. Sakura's eyes grew wide as she looked at him incredulously. "You want to hook up with a ghost? Do you want to look like an idiot?" she asked in a high pitched voice. Sasuke twitched as he heard this, either by what she said or because of the pitch of her voice. He covered his ears with his hands to minimize the pain. Sakura sighed when she finished talking. "Geez, Sakura. You don't need to shriek. And besides," he looked at her, his eyes sparkling like the night sky above them, "I'm with an idiot ghost, too," he continued and smirked. Sakura shrugged off the statement and followed Sasuke as he walked towards the playground, his head lowered and his hands in his pockets. While Sakura clasped her hands at her back as she hopped along the way.

XxxXxxX

Sasuke sat at the swing motionless, his head lowered and his arms resting on his legs while Sakura was pushing the swing hard so that she may go higher. To an average person's view, it looks like a very creepy scene, as Sasuke sits beside a moving swing high up in the air and back; the fact that no such force can be seen that is applied to it, but Sasuke didn't care even a bit.

"…and then the guys just ran away when they heard the creepy sound. It was so much fun! And then…"

"Will you keep quiet, Sakura?" Sasuke cut off.

The said girl immediately stopped the swing and then looked at him with her brows furrowed. "Why are you so mean when you were the one who was following me awhile ago? And besides, shouldn't you be giving respect for the dead?" she asked. Sasuke stared at her with a stoic face. He almost flinched when he heard her last sentence and it wasn't really that good to his ears. He looked back down to the dusty ground and closed his eyes while Sakura was looking at him intently. "Don't ever say that again," he uttered. "What shouldn't I say again? That I'm de—"

"I—said—cut—that—out!" Sasuke uttered furiously in a low, dangerous tone. Sakura looked at him, shocked for a moment and then nodded without saying anything, the sparkle of her eyes and enthusiasm in her voice already starting to fade.

They kept quiet for a few seconds, both of them not looking on each other's direction. It was Sakura who broke the silence that enveloped them. "I-I was just wondering why you went home. Isn't Ino with you?" she asked, carefully choosing the words to say. Sasuke was caught off guard with her question. He remembered that nobody knew that he and Ino weren't together anymore. Sasuke thought for awhile if he should say it to her. He decided that it wouldn't matter anyway if he confided it to Sakura but he still kept his mouth shut. "Michiko-san called me and told about…you know," he uttered consciously. Sakura just nodded in reply, a gesture which meant she understood.

"Sasuke?

"Hm?"

Sakura hesitated to continue but still said it anyway. "Why…why can you see me while others don't?" she asked, lowering her head as her face turned red. Sasuke kept quiet for a moment then shrugged. "I don't know either," he replied without looking at her. Sakura shifted in her seat and tried to face Sasuke with anticipation. "Aren't you scared?" she asked hastily. The said guy smirked then looked at her with sparkling eyes, "Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you be? It's a normal reaction anyway," Sakura contradicted. "Maybe because I know who you are and…" he hesitated to say his next words. _'…and because I wanted to see you badly?' _it wasn't a very good statement. Sakura was looking at him intently as Sasuke kept quiet and stared at the ground below. "…and?" she uttered softly. Sasuke immediately looked at her, his eyes meeting hers. And before he knew it, he was attracted to those sparkling emerald orbs. It was like euphoria. They sat there, looking at each other. When Sasuke had gotten back to his senses, he shook his head and smirked, _'Weird, this isn't good,' _he thought.

He stood up and looked at Sakura. "Because I'm not afraid of ghost," he uttered, grinning. Sakura pouted and crossed her arms. "Haha, very funny," she uttered. Sasuke laughed a bit at her reaction then suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh, shoot!" he said as he looked at his wrist watch. Dinner must have started a few minutes ago. He remembered that Naruto and the others were going to have a party of some sort. "Uhm, Sakura. I think I'd better be going now. The others invited me for dinner at Neji's house together with—er…your parents." Sakura looked at him with wide eyes. How badly she had wanted to see her friends and parents. She really missed them all. She hasn't noticed Sasuke leave as he walked away. He was already a few meters away when she suddenly called out. "Sasuke!" The said guy turned around, Sakura was running towards him. She stopped right in front of him, panting. "C-can I go with you? I just want to see them," she asked.

"B-but…"

"It will be just for a minute. Even just from outside as long as I can see them." Sasuke looked at her with sympathy. He wished he could do something for her for the last time. "Please?" Sakura begged to him. Sasuke thought for a minute then sighed. "Ok, you can come." Sakura gave her a calm and satisfied smile and uttered a _thank you_ to him. He smiled in return and walked to Neji's house.

XxxXxxX

The place didn't change a bit. It was still the simple looking house where she usually goes home to. They were at the doorstep; Sasuke was looking at her with anticipation. He wasn't really sure what to do or what Sakura wants. Sakura looked uneasy; her brows knitted as she looked down and clasped her hands together. "I'll stay here outside," she said, hardly a whisper. She was still looking down, unable to meet Sasuke's interrogating stare. Sasuke just nodded and slowly opened the door. He opened it a bit, and from that little gap, he could see them already gathered at the dining room. He looked at his side, Sakura wasn't there anymore, then he continued to enter the house.

"Teme! Where have you been?" Naruto mumbled as a strand of ramen was hanging at the side of his mouth. He looked behind him, Sakura was now watching them from the window. "Sasuke, come join us," Akashi uttered as he gestured for him to sit beside him while Michiko took another plate and a glass then placed it in the vacant seat. Sasuke obliged then bowed down before the elders before sitting down.

They were engaged in a fine dinner, their lips forming the smile which seemed to have been forbidden to be shown the early days. When they were already finished, Michiko and Hinata cleaned up the dishes while the others, together with Sasuke, headed towards the living room.

"That was the most scrumptious ramen I've ever tasted! You're the best Hinata-chan!" Naruto blabbered which made the said girl blush. "T-thank you, N-naruto-kun." The rest laughed at the two as Naruto hugged Hinata so tight that the said girl almost fell off her seat. When the laughter had subsided, Neji had asked Sasuke, "Why aren't you with Ino?" The whole room quieted. They all looked at Sasuke, he was caught off guard by the question. The truth is that all of them were wondering why he went home alone. It was a long question in their minds that has been asking for an answer for a long time. Sasuke swallowed, he knew that one day this would come up. "W-we…there has been a problem." That simple statement explained everything, Sasuke didn't have to elaborate. Naruto coughed, "Who wants to watch some movies?"

XxxXxxX

It was nearly midnight but the gathering was still ongoing. Sasuke said goodbye to them and went off looking for Sakura. She was sitting at the edge of the sidewalk. The streets were already abandoned by the cars and people. It was quiet, and Sakura didn't like it. It was cold, she shivered and hated the night more. _'I hate this…oh how I hate the night…the cold….ugh!'_ she thought. The night reminded her of the day she was killed…it was cold…and motionless…and lifeless…and quiet…and dark.

"Is something wrong?" she turned around, it was Sasuke. Sakura forced a smile and tried to be enthusiastic. "How was the dinner?" she asked. Sasuke sat down beside her then shrugged. "Fine," he said nonchalantly. Sakura nodded, disappointment painted in her face. "You didn't like it here, huh?" Sasuke asked. Sakura suppressed her tears and tried for her voice not to tremble. The moment she saw her parents, Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, and Neji, she wanted to run towards them, though something was telling her not to do it. From afar, she could see and hear them laughing, how she missed that sight. "No. nothing, I'm totally cool. They had fun, right?" Sasuke didn't answer, Sakura's eyes were turning red as she tried not to cry, and her hands shaking as her voice trembled at every word she uttered. "You know what? I've noticed that they haven't mentioned my name even once. I wonder if they still remembered me," she uttered sarcastically.

Sakura was now uncontrollably sobbing at every word. She looked at Sasuke and tried to smile, "What do you think?" Sasuke didn't know what to do. He tried to console her by patting her at the back, but remembered that it was impossible. Sakura noticed his hand and laughed. "You can't touch me. I'm dead, remember? So don't try consoling me." Sasuke sighed. He moved closer to her and spoke, "You're wrong. You're not forgotten, it's just hard for them to talk about it. The truth is that they're always thinking of you. And no, I won't just let you cry and be like that. I'll try to help you, I promise." Sakura calmed down and looked at the gray cemented ground, "Thanks," she uttered. And unbelievingly, she seemed to like the night and cold weather after all, for it was the day she had found her star.

XxxXxxX

**Crystalchaser's note: **I was really sleepy when I wrote this chap. So if you see any grammatical errors or anything that doesn't seem right, please feel free to say it (type it actually). Happy summer!


	8. Secrets and revelations

**Crystalcahser's note: **Sorry for the delay. I've been suddenly engrossed with some other websites. (facebook, mysoju, multiply,etc.) that I had only a little time left to type these stories. I'm not really good at posting my stories on time, ok I admit that. But I hope you'd still be interested with them. Don't worry, I promise all of you that I'll finish them before another year ends. Hehe.

**Standard disclaimer applies**

**FROM HEAVEN**

**CHAPTER 8: Secrets and revelations**

It was still too early and he wanted to continue sleeping but something was bothering him. Sasuke covered his face with a pillow and tightly shut his eyes, forcing himself once more to daze off. Getting tired of the routine already, he looked at his digital clock on top of his bedside table. He grunted, it was only 4 o'clock in the morning. He clumsily got up from bed, his eyes half-closed. Maybe it would be nice to get up early today, just for a change.

"You're up too early," a voice uttered at the corner of his room. Sasuke quickly turned to the direction of the familiar voice with a horrid look.

"Next time, knock first, Sakura," he hissed as he stood up, not minding to fix his bed. Sakura giggled at his reaction and walked towards his dark blue unkempt bed.

"Seriously Uchiha, you have to get used of seeing me popping at anywhere you can think of," she said sarcastically as she started folding his blankets for him. Sasuke, who had just come out of the bathroom, approached her and helped up in fixing his bed.

"You shouldn't be doing this you know. I don't need help with these things," he uttered.

For the few years that had passed, he had learned to be independent, as his parents weren't with him a lot. It was somehow the greatest thing that he regrets since it made him a bit insensitive and self-centered. He became a bit ignorant and stubborn which made him more distant to his friends.

Sakura stopped from what she was doing and looked at him incredulously. "Really, how ignorant and pretentious can you be, Uchiha?" she said.

Sasuke just smirked and winked at her, making her cheeks feel hot. Acting quickly, she grabbed the pillow beside her and threw it towards Sasuke who expertly caught it. She pouted in defeat; it made him smirk once more.

"You're always and will be so childish," he said. Sakura opened her mouth to speak but decided to ignore him; something had caught her attention as she slowly stood up and sat beside the window.

Curious, Sasuke followed her, "What are you looking at?" he asked as he pulled a chair and sat next to her.

Sakura held a serene smile on her lips as she eyed the view and whispered, "Sunrise."

She slowly turned to the person beside her who had a confused look. "It's one of the things I look forward to everyday," she whispered then dreamily stared at the yellowish sphere arising in the sky.

Sasuke nodded as he drew closer to her, "Mind if I join?" Sakura shook her head once, not minding to look at him.

For a moment, they were silent as they stared outside. Both of them secretly treasuring the moment.

Sakura took a quick glance of Sasuke who was still looking the other way. "Sasuke…?" The said boy turned to her and raised his brow.

"Would you like to hang out…I mean…the way I hang out?" she asked, unsure of her own words. She clasped her hands and stared at the floor. Sasuke stared at her for a moment, expressionless, then smirked. "Sure, why not?" he said. Sakura looked at him with a satisfied smile.

XxxXxxX

Before, being with him was like an everyday routine. But now, it seemed a very unusual situation. Maybe, she thought, it was because things weren't the same anymore. From the day he left Konoha, a lot of things had changed, a lot of things happened.

"Achhhooo!" Sasuke rubbed his already reddened nose. "Damn flowers," he hissed as he shoved some of them out of his way and followed Sakura who was excitedly hopping around.

Sakura turned around and faced Sasuke. The sunshine made her face glow unbelievingly, and he wondered if it was because she was a ghost. He immediately shrugged off the idea.

"Isn't this fun?" Sakura exclaimed. Sasuke just shook his head and sat under the shade of the tree.

"Is this what you do every day?" he asked incredulously as he wiped the sweat that was trickling down his forehead. Sakura nodded and ran towards him, a bunch of daisies on her hands.

"Oh no," he said as he quickly stood up and held his hands up. "Get those things away from me," he said.

Sakura looked at him unbelievingly with wide eyes, and then sighed. "Too bad, they're so pretty," she uttered and smelled the bouquet of flowers.

"Sakura, can we go somewhere else?" he said as he dusted off his shirt. Sakura shook her head vigorously, "Nope," was her answer. Sasuke sighed; he knew that Sakura was more stubborn than he was. He sat beside her and watched her pick some more of the 'dreaded' things.

"Hn, Ino didn't like flowers a lot, and yet they're close friends. I wonder how they can deal with things," he whispered.

Sakura, though she was a few feet away, heard what he had said. The smile in her lips faded as her hands accidentally dropped the flowers.

'_I shouldn't feel this way,' _she thought. It felt awkward for Sasuke to talk about Ino in front of her. It was the least thing she had wanted to start a conversation with. She felt a slight pang of jealousy when she heard Sasuke say her friend's name. But what right does she have to be jealous anyway? _'When will I ever learn…'_

"Are you alright?" Sakura turned around and tried to give him a sincere smile.

"Yeah, let's go."

"Already? I thought—"

"I—changed my mind," Sakura said immediately as she walked pass him.

Sasuke held a bewildered look as he stared at Sakura's back. _'What did I do?' _he thought. Then suddenly, it hit him. He hit his forehead with his right hand, "Stupid!" he cursed himself and followed his companion.

"Hey!" he called out. Sakura stopped from her tracks but didn't turn around to face him.

"I…" he trailed off and thought for a moment. "I didn't mean what I said earlier…" he whispered.

Sakura stared at the ground, not knowing what to say. It didn't matter if he meant what he said or not, it doesn't make any difference anyway.

"Let's go to the playground," she uttered without looking at him. They walked together in silence, the exact difference of what they were a while ago.

XxxXxxX

Sasuke had expected for them to be alone at the said place. Unfortunately, he was wrong. The playground was packed with, obviously, children and a few toddlers. He watched from afar as Sakura crouched near the sand box were three toddlers played.

"Did you miss me guys? Oh, yes you did, do you?" she said as she played with a young brunette girl. The child giggled as she stared at Sakura.

"Can she…see you?" asked Sasuke who was already behind her. She turned to him slightly and shrugged, a small smile forming in her lips.

She really wasn't sure why did she even dared to play with them, to be near these innocent children. It somehow gave her a sense of fulfillment that completed her day.

"You're angry, aren't you?" Sasuke whispered.

Sakura thought for awhile before standing and facing the said boy. He had his head lowered which hid his eyes, hiding his possible feelings and expression at the moment.

Sakura gave a small smile, "Yeah, I am," she said nonchalantly. Sasuke's eyes grew wide as he abruptly raised his head to face Sakura. He was obviously wasn't expecting her answer. He was about to speak and ask her why but Sakura had cut him off. As if reading his mind, she answered his question.

"You're not enjoying yourself," she said. Sasuke's brows knitted as he heard this, "What?" he exclaimed, not noticing that most of the people around were already staring at him as he seemed to be talking to himself.

Sakura grinned, "I asked you to hang out with me, my way. It seems you aren't enjoying yourself, Uchiha."

He shook his head, "You're unbelievable," he said.

Without warning, he sat at the edge of the sand box and helped a young boy build 'things' from the sand. Another boy who had just arrived at the sand box crawled towards Sasuke, but then suddenly stumbled. Sasuke immediately caught him before the child got hurt.

"Easy there, pal. You might get boo-boos," he uttered as he slowly raised the boy who was giggling at him. Sasuke grinned at the sight.

"Oh, Yuki. There you are!" a middle-aged woman uttered as she ran towards Sasuke.

"Thank you for looking after him," she uttered then took the child from Sasuke's hands.

"No harm done," he said with a sincere smile.

Sakura was astounded. She watched in awe as Sasuke joined the group of toddlers. After a moment of awe, she grinned, _'You aren't like any other, Uchiha,' _she thought.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Sasuke who had already stood up and was already staring at her.

She shook her head, "Nothing." Sasuke smirked, and from that moment, she had realized her purpose of staying.

"I…guess that's all for now. S-see you tomorrow," she said as she turned around and ran away from him.

Sasuke reached out and tried to catch up with her, but Sakura had already disappeared. He didn't know where to find her and when will he see her again.

XxxXxxX

"Teme! We've been looking for you. Where've you been?" Naruto exclaimed as he patted Sasuke's back. The said Uchiha hit him behind his head, "Dobe, that hurt," he hissed and grinned as Naruto rubbed his nape. He took of his jacket and sat at the couch, Naruto seated at the other end of the room.

"Why are you here, anyway?" he asked, his arms rested on his knees. The blonde guy put his hands at the back of his head and yawned. Sasuke glared at him in annoyance.

"My parents are gone for about a week. I thought it might be a good idea if I stay here for awhile so that—" Naruto trailed off as his eyes grew wide and dodged an incoming pillow flying towards him. He raised his head and stared at a fuming Sasuke.

"What was that for, teme!" he questioned him but unfortunately, just got hit in the face with another pillow. Sasuke grinned as Naruto fell to the ground due to the impact. He stood up and neared his best friend. Naruto glared at him as he struggled to get up.

"You? Live here? So that you'll have this place blown up again?" he uttered.

The last time he allowed him to stay, every time he went home, the house was a mess, a wreck. He would throw up stupid parties without him knowing; leave the television on at the middle of the night as he slept on the couch. There was always a shortage in food, especially with ramen.

As he stared at his best friend, he wondered how he would live up with things if he would remain this stubborn. Nobody would be there for him when he's on his own, no one but him.

'_I'm the only one he has,' _he thought.

Sasuke grinned at Naruto and held out a hand to him, helping him to get up. Naruto grabbed his hand and stood up, grinning.

"Told yah you can't resist me," he teasingly uttered. Sasuke smirked at him. Somehow, deep inside him he knew it was true.

"Anytime, buddy," Sasuke uttered as he patted Naruto's back.

XxxXxxX

He was reading a book at the living room when suddenly, the doorbell rang. He peeped at the side of his book and looked at Naruto who was very much engrossed on watching television. He didn't seem to hear the doorbell, so unfortunately, Sasuke was the one who got up and opened the door.

"Pizza delivery!" a young man uttered at the instant he opened the door. He held a wide smile in his face in which Sasuke thought was quite creepy.

"But I didn't order—"

"This is for Mr. Uzumaki Naruto, he ordered one about fifteen minutes ago," the man immediately uttered. Sasuke looked at the man with wide eyes for a moment. He then turned to look at Naruto who was still staring at the screen, not minding to look at his way or to blink. Sasuke shook his head as he took the box and paid the man.

"Naruto, your food is here," he said as he laid the box on top of the dining table.

"Thanks for picking it up, teme. I really am hungry," Naruto, who was already behind him, uttered and took a slice from the box.

"You're going to pay me, dobe," he said and took his own slice. Naruto just shrugged and sat in front of the television again.

"You wanna watch with me? The shows pretty cool," he said. Sasuke knew his answer was going to be NO whatever reason Naruto has.

"It's about a guy who sees ghost and things. He's trying to help this girl to find out how she was killed," Naruto said nonchalantly, not taking his eyes off the screen. The said boy's statement caught Sasuke's attention, was it just coincidence?

He badly needed for someone whom he could tell all the things he's experiencing. It was that moment that he turned to his blond friend. It was worth trying, and it might be of good help, too. He took a deep breath and approached Naruto, weighing his luck with this one.

"Naruto," he uttered. The said boy turned to him with a raised brow, his mouth was stuffed with pizza. "Wa izsh ith?" he mumbled. It was the only chance Sasuke had and he wished it was a good one.

"D-do you believe in those things?" he asked, choosing his words cautiously. His best friend turned to the screen once more, Sasuke waited for his answer with anticipation.

"Yeah," Naruto said. That single word made Sasuke's chances grow. If Naruto believed in these things, he could help him in finding out what really happened the night when Sakura was killed and who were behind it. He trailed off for a moment, thinking of the right words to say. Suddenly, all of it just slipped out off his mouth.

"What if—I told you I saw someone who's…dead?" he felt a lump on his throat form when he spoke; it seemed harder saying it than to think about it.

Naruto's attention was fully focused to him now; he can't back out or take back what he had said.

"Who?" Naruto asked with wide eyes, though he had an idea of who it might be.

"It's…" Sasuke hesitated for a moment as he stared at Naruto's anticipating face. He hoped that confiding the said matter would lessen his load.

"…Sakura. I-I've been seeing her for about two days now." He waited for the blond to respond but he seemed too perplexed and astounded at the same time to even answer back.

"Look, I know I sound stupid but—"

"Oh, you're not stupid, teme. You're insane!" Naruto exclaimed as he inched away from his friend, acting as if Sasuke was some kind of person who just got out from an insane asylum. Sasuke sighed in annoyance.

'_This will never work,' _he thought. With his eyes closed, he thought of a way to persuade the person in front of him.

"I'm not joking, I saw her just awhile ago…and," he turned to face Naruto just to be welcomed by a grim expression from him. Out of desperation, Sasuke held Naruto's shoulders and shook him.

"Naruto, we need to help her. We must find the one who've done this to her," he breathed heavily and lowered his head. Naruto was still staring at him, but this time, with curiosity in his eyes instead of bewilderment.

"It's…it's the only way we can," he trailed off and looked at Naruto's eyes, "The only way I can make up of for her. For the times I've messed up. You know what I mean, right?" he asked desperately, emphasizing the word I in his first sentence.

Naruto was silent for a long time, trying to absorb all the things he had just heard. The person in front of him was the wisest person he ever knew, and his best friend talking about such things made him confused.

"Whoa…where's teme?" Naruto whispered, his voice seem to be so far away. Sasuke's hands dropped as he looked at Naruto with knitted eyebrows.

"What?"

"Who are you? You're not Sasuke," Naruto said, eyeing Sasuke with wide eyes. Sasuke glared at Naruto and hit him in the stomach, "Dobe," he hissed as he sat at the couch once more, closing his eyes to lessen the pressure enveloping both of them in the said room.

"Okay, if you don't want to believe me, fine. Just—don't tell this to anybody, alright?" he uttered as he rested his head on his left hand. Suddenly, he heard Naruto grinning at him. He was sitting across him on another couch.

"You know what? I really don't understand you," he confided, still with a grin in his face. Sasuke combed his bangs away from his eyes, "Just what I've thought," he whispered and got up.

Having enough of the argumentation, he went upstairs to his bedroom. Maybe confiding it to other people was a bad idea. Now, he had another problem, and that is to keep Naruto's big mouth shut.

"I don't understand YOU, teme. But for Sakura? What the heck, I'm in," Naruto said when Sasuke was already on the middle of the staircase. The inky-haired boy stopped from his tracks and slowly turned to Naruto. He grinned, "On the other hand, you can be a smart-ass at times."

XxxXxxX

Her room was untouched since the day she was gone. Michiko took one of Sakura's favorite stuffed toys from her bed. It was a pink rabbit with a white tie. The rabbit was the first toy Sakura had ever had.

'_I'm going to keep bunny rabbit forever!' _she could remember Sakura saying it when she first saw the gift. Too bad that the toy lasted longer than its owner.

Michiko returned the stuffed toy at the side of Sakura's bed with a small smile in her lips.

"Oh, sorry. I—I didn't know you were here, Michiko-san," a voice uttered at the door. Michiko turned around; she smiled as she recognized who the newcomer was.

"It's alright, Sasuke. I was just about to leave," she informed him and stood up.

"Oh, I-I was just going to leave this…this gift," Sasuke uttered softly. The said woman turned to the paper bag in which Sasuke was carrying. He approached Michiko and gave it to her.

"I was supposed to give it to her when I came back," he said shyly. Michiko slowly opened the said bag and was surprised to see the same stuffed toy that she was holding earlier, only that it was of the color blue.

"Sakura once told me that she wanted for her…uhm stuffed rabbit to have a partner. So I thought…" he wasn't able to continue his sentence. Michiko wrapped her hands around the said boy; silent tears were flowing from her eyes.

"Oh, dear. She would have loved it. Thank you," she whispered in a shaky voice as she loosened her grip on Sasuke.

He stared at the said woman a long time, seeing her smile despite the pain she was feeling. He realized that he wasn't the only one who's suffering. Even though things didn't go the way he wanted it to be, he mustn't lose hope.

"Don't worry Michiko-san. I swear I won't stop until I found out who've done this to her," he said in a dignified tone. Michiko uttered another _Thank you _to him.

Now, he had all the reasons and ways to make it up to Sakura, for the days he had missed and the time they had wasted.

XxxXxxX

**Crystal chaser's note: ** I'm having a hard time filling out some idle parts in my stories. I swear, I'm trying my best to make it worth reading. It's just that it takes me a long time before I come up with such ideas. I'm just a newbie anyway so don't go nagging about, nah just kidding. Read and review please!


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